Conservation Apprentice

About Westchester Land Trust

Westchester Land Trust (WLT) is the leading land conservation

organization prioritizing Westchester County and eastern Putnam County. Founded

in 1988, WLT was one of the first land trusts in the nation to be accredited

through the independent Land Trust Accreditation Commission. WLT has

protected more than 9,250 acres across 217 conservation easements and

preserves. We have a professional staff of 12 and work together as a team to

achieve WLT’s mission to protect and to steward our region’s priority conservation

lands.

Westchester Land Trust is committed to

persistent learning, educating, and training about race, bias, and systemic

racism. We are proactively adjusting our organizational systems, structures,

and policies to increase equity, address opportunities for growth, and expand

the spaces in our organizational culture for those who have not been

historically included. Westchester Land Trust is committed to creating a

diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All

qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard

to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual

orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

Diverse candidates and candidates with nontraditional backgrounds are encouraged

to apply.

Overview

Westchester Land

Trust’s Conservation Apprenticeship program is designed to provide high school

graduates and college students an authentic paid experience to explore and

pursue careers in conservation. In particular, the program focuses on

welcoming young people who may otherwise feel excluded from conservation work

due to race, socioeconomic status, and geography.

The broad goals of

the Conservation Apprenticeship are to:

·        

Introduce Apprentices to the

nonprofit conservation sector, and land trusts specifically.

·        

Practice communication skills, which

may include professional presentations, reports, video, and social media.

·        

Build leadership skills by

supervising volunteer events and coordinating youth work crews on our

preserves.

·        

Develop critical thinking and

project management skills through completion of a final project.

For 2024,

Westchester Land Trust is seeking three passionate high school graduates or

college students with field or outdoor education experience. Students with

experience working in crews to accomplish stewardship projects, such as

Groundwork Hudson Valley’s Green Team, or similar field-based experiences,

are especially encouraged to apply.

Work

will primarily focus on land stewardship (trail maintenance, invasive species

management, meadow and forest restoration, and our organic farm) under the

mentorship of the WLT Preserve Manager and Conservation Technician. Additionally,

Apprentices will shadow several WLT staff responsible for other aspects

of WLT’s work, such as urban conservation, land protection, communications,

and fundraising.

In

2024, the Apprentices will focus on implementing Westchester Land Trust’s new

Forest Health Initiative. This initiative is an ambitious landscape-scale

approach to forest restoration. Much of the work will be centered on removing

invasive species, promoting natural regeneration through deer enclosures and

tree tubing, maintaining restoration sites, and creating GIS maps of forest

stands.

Additional

work will include visitor experience and accessibility improvements at

preserves, field-based and office-based work at Sugar Hill Farm, and

supporting our urban engagement programs.

Work Locations

Field/Outdoors

Most

of the work is outdoors at Westchester Land Trust’s nature preserves

throughout Westchester and eastern Putnam counties.

Indoors

Plan

to report to the office every morning. Office space will be provided at our

headquarters in Bedford Hills, NY. Indoor work includes research and report

writing, attending pertinent staff meetings, and training, and shadowing WLT

staff from the development, administrative, and land protection departments.

Duties and Responsibilities

Goal: Develop a professional understanding of

land management.

·        

Implement forest

health improvements.

·        

Assist in trail

mowing and maintenance.

·        

Efficiently identify

and remove invasive plants.

·        

Maintain and help

develop ecological restoration projects.

·        

Engage with preserve

hikers and neighbors.

·        

Help lead volunteer

or educational programs and events.

·        

Engage with WLT’s

urban conservation work.

·        

Learn about the

different roles and responsibilities of land trust staff.

·        

Complete and present

a final project with guidance from the WLT preserve manager.

·        

Produce photos and

written content to support WLT communications, including social media,

newsletters, and other outreach material.

·        

Assist WLT staff

with other projects as needed.

Requirements 

·        

High school graduate or college student with strong interest

in land management, ecology, botany, horticulture, sustainable agriculture,

environmental education, recreation management, or related field.

·        

Enthusiasm and

dedication to environmental conservation.

·        

Support for the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion,

and justice in the field of conservation.

·        

Experience with land stewardship or transferrable

activities.

·        

Ability to successfully complete projects in field

conditions under tight timelines.

·        

Interest in learning

and quickly becoming proficient in new skills.

·        

Comfort working both independently and on teams.

·        

Willingness to

prioritize safety and situational awareness in the field.

·        

Facility in

communicating with people of all ages and backgrounds.

Other

Requirements

·        

Ability to walk

several miles per day over rough terrain in all weather conditions.

·        

Willingness to learn

to safely use power equipment like weed whackers and hand drills.

·        

Candidates should be

at least 18 years of age by the start of the Apprenticeship.

Compensation

Pay 

$21/hour,

32 hours per week (Monday through Thursday).

Job

Term

9

weeks, roughly mid-June 2024 through mid-August 2024.

To Apply

Please

send cover letter and resume to info@westchesterlandtrust.org. The cover letter

should focus on the two questions below:

(1)

Why are you interested in a career in conservation, and

(2)

What is an example from your life of working on a team to accomplish a goal?

No

phone calls please. Applications without a cover letter will not be reviewed.

Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled. Candidates

selected for interviews will be notified.

WLT

encourages candidates to apply even if they do not feel that they fulfill all

the requirements of the position.

Westchester

Land Trust is an equal opportunity employer and acts in accordance with

applicable law in all of our hiring and employment practices.